MINUTES OF THE NAPIER AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Meeting on Wednesday 3 July 2013 at the Clubrooms 123 Latham Street
Chair: Laurie ZL2TC, the meeting started at 7:30 pm.
Apologies: ZL2GAZ, ZL2DC, ZL2LF.
Present: Mike ZL2VM, Lee ZL2AL, Dave ZL2DW, Rob ZL2US, Stan ZL2ST, Jan ZL2CZE, Dave ZL2MQ, Mike ZL2MY and Karl ZL1TJ.
Minutes previous meeting, confirmed correct: ZL2AL, ZL2VM.
Arising: To be discussed during general business.
Correspondence:
In: A request from the Hamilton Branch, via NZART, to send a submission supporting adequate aerial heights allowance in the proposed Hamilton City Council District Plan proposal.
Acknowledgement of our submission to the Napier City Council to the Draft Annual Plan 2013/2014 regarding antenna heights by Laurie.
Out: A submission to The Hamilton City Council as detailed above.
Finance: No significant financial transactions reported.
General business:
Lee reported having bought an additional aerial mast for the club via Trade me, he does not seek reimbursement for the cost of both the mast and transport and so made another donation to the club.
Laurie presented a completed prototype of the club project dual band VHF / UHF base station aerial. Mounted inside a 2m fibreglass rod the aerial exhibits SWR less than 2:1 on both bands and can handle up to 100Watts. To be offered in kit set form at a cost in the region of $50.
Stan referred to the Memorial Contest, both phone and CW coming up this weekend.
Rob suggested the Napier ARC organise the annual end of year combined branches dinner this year.
Agreed to by Laurie, Dave 2MQ offered to check if the Maraenui Golf Club might be suitable.
Suggested date: Friday 29th of November.
Laurie reminded us that Stan ZL2ST first joined the Napier ARC on 12 June 1955, 58 years ago.
The meeting closed at 8pm and was followed by a QSL card of special interest session.
Lee presented a brief talk on the history of the QSL confirmation needs arising from the establishment around 1936 of the DX Century Club and similar schemes whereby radio hams could prove their prowess in world wide radio communications.
Presently the original 100 countries target stands at 340. To obtain a DXCC Honour Roll accreditation a total of 331 countries must be confirmed. In NZ only 4 or 5 have achieved this and of these two were present at the meeting namely Lee himself with a total score of 336/340 and Stan with a score of 339/340, with only North Korea missing! Cards of special interest were presented by Dave 2DW: early Plessey and combined Branches Millennium Cards,
Stan 2ST: Sine wave George, Bouvet Island, 2m Wellington to Christchurch, Dave 2MQ: EME moonbounce contacts,
Laurie 2TC: Mexico City on 6m, SSB 2m contact with ZL2TOT with a homebrew converter putting out 50 milliwatts and Lee himself with a few of his most treasured cards out of a collection packed in 8 shoe boxes, some 2000 cards, the most treasured one being form North Korea.
Dave ZL2MQ showed his rare EME cards and gave an outline of the difficulties work EME contacts.
Lee finished with a short explanation of the ARRL ‘Logbook of the World system. Lee’s total log entry of 47000 QSO’s has been matched 11000 times there. The system holds some 500 million QSO’s at present.
Karl ZL1TJ.